Bonin Campaigns for the Homeless

By DEBORAH STAMBLER | Contributing Writer

At the Pacific Palisades Community Council meeting on Oct. 13, Councilmember Mike Bonin said that the PPCC makes his job easier, that he ends up being able to make better arguments because of the council and the information they provide. But Bonin also came to the meeting with a specific agenda.

With Election Day less than a month away and a very long ballot facing voters, Bonin talked about the importance of voting “yes” for Proposition HHH. It would provide a $1.2 billion bond measure to build affordable housing for the homeless.

He broke down why the ballot initiative makes sense for Los Angeles from a humanitarian standpoint and for financial reasons. The proposition would provide approximately 10,000 housing units offering permanent solution housing, not temporary shelter beds. The funding would come from bonds, which insures tight oversight on spending. The funds can only be used for building and construction.

Critics have cited the difference between the number of homeless people and the number of housing units that HHH will fund. People Assisting the Homeless, a lobby group, estimated that there 48,000 homeless people citywide in 2016. Bonin pointed out that not every homeless person needs permanent solution housing. The focus of the measure is on the chronically homeless population. There are people who haven’t been homeless for long who would benefit from other types of services.

At $1.2 billion, Bonin said that Proposition HHH is a bargain. He explained how homelessness is a huge drain on the city budget. He said that Los Angeles spends $100 million on homelessness annually through services such as the sanitation department, LA Police Department, brush units and paramedics. Ultimately, housing is cheaper.

The issue of homelessness is of great importance to the councilmember. He said that most people don’t know this, but 30 percent of the homeless population in Los Angeles are victims of domestic violence.

Bonin reminded everyone that Proposition HHH is at the very bottom of the ballot and to make sure not to miss it.

The next PPCC meeting is on Oct. 27. Among the agendized items for the meeting, Rob Hancock, lead engineer on the project, will present updates on Potrero Canyon.